Light emitter chips, such as light emitting diode (LED) chips are solid state devices that convert electric energy to light, and generally comprise one or more active layers of semiconductor material sandwiched between oppositely doped layers. When a bias is applied across the doped layers, holes and electrons are injected into the active layer where they recombine to generate light. Light is emitted from the active layer and from all surfaces of the LED chip.
In order to use an LED chip in a circuit or other like arrangement, it is known to enclose the LED chip in an LED package to provide environmental and/or mechanical protection, color selection, focusing and the like. The LED package can include electrical leads, contacts, and/or traces for electrically connecting package to an external circuit. Conventional packages can experience heat dissipation problems, for example, arising from poor heat dissipation from areas below and/or adjacent to the LED chip. Heat can localize underneath LED chips and can continue to increase during operation. This can result in failure and/or a reduced lifetime of the LED package. A need exists for improving thermal management within LED packages. Multiple LED chips used within an LED package increases the need for improved thermal management.
In addition to thermal management considerations, manufacturers of LED lighting products are constantly seeking ways to reduce their cost in order to provide a lower initial cost to customers, and encourage the adoption of LED products. Brighter, more efficient LED chips and/or packages can allow lighting manufacturers to use fewer LED chips to get the same brightness at a lower cost or increase brightness levels using the same LED chip count and power. Such improvements can enable delivery of improved LED for less total cost than other solutions.
Thus, despite the availability of various LED packages in the marketplace, a need remains for cooler, brighter, more cost-effective LED packages and/or methods which consume the same and/or less power as compared to conventional packages. Such packages and methods can also make it easier for end-users to justify switching to LED products from a return on investment or payback perspective.